Method of and apparatus for producing compound metal ingots.



F. E. GANDA. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMPOUND METALINGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1911. 1,013,860

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

tea

C Z 3513, 414 aTfOZ-HMJA 7%2/wi & $364 2? MFKQ till FERDINAND E. CANDA,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHROME STEEL WORKS, F CHROME, NEWJERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMPOUND METAL INGOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed September 6, 1911. Serial No. 647,958.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FERDINAND E. OANDA, a citizen of-the United Statesof America, and a resident of New York, in the county a of New York andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Methods of andApparatus for Producing Compound Metal Ingots, of which the following isa specification. My invention relates to improvements in methods of andmeans for producing composite metal plates, particularly plates composedof alternate layers of hard and soft steel, such as are used for vaults,safes, jail 1 bars, etc. Such plates have often been made inthe past byassembling together plates of different materials to be used, in theproper order, and welding them between rollsor in a press, as describedin my Patent No.

726,026, dated April 21, 1903; and in my Patent No. 768,264, datedAugust 23, 1904:, I describe a process for producing such plates whereinthe hard steel is completely surrounded by soft steel, the said processinvolving placing hard steel plates in a mold and pouring molten softsteel around said hard steel plates.

.The process herein described is particularly adapted and intended forproduc ng composite plates the outer layers of which are of relativelyhard steel (2'. 6., steel having a relatively low melting point) whilethe inner layer is of soft steel a, steel having a relatively highmelting point).

According to the present process, hard steel plates, to form the outerlayers of the composite'ar'ticle, and grooved at their edges ashereinafter described, are. placed the proper distance apart and endpieces or 40 chills are applied across the ends of these plates, so asto inclose, with said hard steel plates, the space to be occupied by thesoft steel, and then molten soft steel is poured into such space andcaused to fill the said end grooves of said plates, whereby when thesoft steel has solidified it is mechanically interlocked with the hardsteel plates,

so that said hard steel plates necessarily follow the soft steel duringthe contraction thereof, due to solidification and cooling.

The soft steel so cast, having a higher melting point than the hardsteel, tends to raise the adjacent surface of said hard steel plates toa welding temperature so that, as a result of the casting, a partialweld at least may be formed. Afterward the composite ingot thus producedis worked, as by rolling, hammering or pressing, and thereby the weld isperfected and completed.

My invention comprises casting one of the metals, specifically the metalof higher melting temperature, between bodies of the other metal,specifically the metal of lower melting point, and into end grooves ofsaid bodies, whereby the objects between and against which the moltenmetal is so cast are caused to follow the cast metal during contractiondue to solidification and cooling thereof, and further comprises a moldfor forming composite metal articles, wherein two of the layers of thecomposite articles to be formed, and provided with end grooves asdescribed, themselves form parts of the mold for the metal to be cast.

My invention further comprises sectional chills adapted to form the endsof such molds, and other features as hereinafter described.

The objects of my invention are to facili tate the making of compositemetal objects, such as above described, to reduce the cost thereof, andto insure perfect welding together of the component layers.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features inclaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a top view of a plurality of molds, suchas referred to, in place on a pouring table; Fig. 2 shows a longitudinalvertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the section being takenon the line (0-00 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of acomposite metal ingot produced, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4is a top view of an alternative arrangement wherein the use of a flaskto contain the metal plates and chills, is obviated; and Fig. 5 shows atop View of a mold such as is used for casting the side plates of thecomposite ingot.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates a pouring table, 2 ariser thereon, 3 a flask, 4- metal plates, to form the outer layers ofthe composite metal ingots to be formed, 5-5 end chills and 6 moldingsand plates 4 is a space 7 to. receive the molten metal, the pouringtable having in it orifices 8 connecting such spaces with the duct 9leading from the riser 2. The plates 4 are provided with end faces 10which the chills 5 bear, and with end grooves 11 and end lips 12wherewith the cast metal will interlock so that, as said cast metalsolidifies and shrinks, the plates 4 are compelled to follow suchshrinkage, thereby insuring maintenace of surface contactof the plates 4and the cast metal, during such solidification.

The end chills 5 are conveniently and customarily formed in-sections asshown, and may be unitedby through bolts 13, whereby any possibledisplacement of these end chills is obviated.

. In carrying out my invention, the plates 4 (which preferably are ofrelatively hard steel, that is, steel having a relatively low meltingpoint) are placed within the fiask, the end chills 5 are put in place,and sand is tamped around these plates 4 and chills 5 to hold them inplace. If desired, the plates may be placed hot within the flask, and ifdesired, the surfaces of the plates may be covered with borax or othersuitable flux before they are placed within the flask, to protect saidplates against oxidation; or,

and preferably, boraX' or other flux is placed within the spaces 7,where it will be melted by the molten metal first entering said spaces7, and then, as the level of the molten metal in sai spaces 7 rises, thesaid molten flux, floating on the surface of the molten 1 metal, willprogressively cleanse the surface of the plates 4 with which the moltenmetal is to contact.

The molds having been prepared as described, molten metal is poured intothe riser 2 and flows through the duct 9 of the pouring table into thespaces 7 and fills said spaces including grooves 11 in the ends of theplates 4, and in solidifying mechanically interlocks the cast metal withthese plates 4. The chills 5 are not provided with such grooves andtherefore the molten metal does not unite with them. Owing to themechanical interlocking of the cast metal and the plates 4, as said castmetal shrinks during cooling, the plates 4 are forced to follow suchshrinkage, the pressure between the adjacent surfaces of said plates 4and of the cast metal, thereby produced, and the contact of therelatively hot molten metal with the plates 4, usually forming at leasta partial weld between the two metals. The composite ingots so formedmay then be removed from the flask as units, and after reheating to awelding. temperature the Welds may be perfected, and the composite metalingots reduced to the final form desired by rolling, pressing,hammering, etc.

Preferably the end grooves 11 are of dovetail form, being broader at thebase than at the top, so that the metal cast between the plates 4 whenit solidifies, has a dovetail interlock with each end of each plate 4. Ifind that this is important, as if the metal of the intermediate layerhave not such dovetail interlock, or equivalent interlock with the endsof the plates 4, imperfectly welded product sometimes results; whereas Ihave found in actual practice that, with dovetail interlocking such asshown, perfect welding is obtained practically invariably. I alsopreferably provide grooves on the surfaces of'the plates 4 which are tovbe adjacent to the intermediate layer cast between such plates, as suchgrooves materially facilitate the welding.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate a mold which I have found convenient for castingplates 4. The

said mold comprises side plates 18 provided at their ends with customarymeans for securing them together, these side plates inclosing betweenthem a space 19 into which the molten metal to form the plates 4 may becast. As shown, one of the plates 18 has a grooved face 20 whereby thegrooves to :ders 23 fitting into corresponding grooves in the plates 18.Behind the cores 21 there are spaces 24, which spaces are customarilyfilled with sand, forming a backing for the cores.

. It is not necessary to place the plates 4 and the chills 5 within aflask, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. To the contrary, said chills 5may be secured in place with relation to the plates 4 by other means, asfor example by encircling chains or cables 16, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be observed that'in the process and by the apparatus abovedescribed, the metal plates 4 which are to form the outer layers of thecomposite ingots to be produced, and the end chills 5, themselvesconstitute the mold into which the molten metal is to be cast; the flask3, if employed, being a mere means for holding the parts of the mold ormolds in their proper relative positions with respect to each other andto the pouring orifices 8 of the pouring table.

In a divisional application, filedrNovem-f her 6, 1911, Sr. No. 658,889,I have claimed the ingot produced as above described, and

of the composite ingot into a space inclosed by plates and by separateend pieces, said plates being plates which are to form outer layers ofthe composite ingot, the said space into which the metal is so castincluding interlocking spaces in the ends of said metal plates; andpermitting the molten metal to solidify, and by the interlocking of thecast metal with said plates, thus produced, causing said. plates tofollow the cast metal during its contraction.

2. The process of forming composite metal ingots herein described,comprising casting molten metal of relatively high melting point to forman intermediate layer of the composite ingot into a space inclosed byplates of relatively lower melting point and y separate end pieces, saidplates being plates which are to form outer layers of the compositeingot, the said space 1nto which the metal is so cast includinginterlocking spaces in the ends of said metal plates and permitting themolten metal to solidify and by the interlocking of the cast metal withsaid plates, thus produced, causing said plates to follow the cast metalduring its contraction.

3. The process of forming composite metal ingots herein described,comprising casting molten metal to form an intermediate layer of thecomposite ingot into a space inclosed by plates and by separate endpieces, said plates being plates which are to form outer layers of thecomposite ingot, the said space into which the metal is so castincluding interlocking spaces of dovetail contour in the ends of saidmetal plates; and permitting the molten metal to solidify, and by theinterlocln'ng of the cast metal with said plates, thus produced, causingsaid plates to follow the cast metal during its contraction.

space between said plates and spaces behind v said interlockingprojections and communicating with the space between said plates,

and means for holding said plates and end pieces together.

5. A mold for forming composite metal ingots, comprising plates whichare to form outer layers of the composite ingot, said plates havinginterlocking projections and corresponding recesses at their ends, saidrecesses being of dovetail contour, the said plates being spaced apart adistance corresponding to the desired thickness of the intermediatelayer of the composite ingot, and separate end pieces extending acrossthe ends of said plates from the one plate to the other, and inclosingwith said plates, the space'between said plates and spaces behind saidinterlocking projections and communicating with the space between saidplates, and means for holding said plates and end pieces together.

In testimony whereofI have signed this specification in the presence oftwo sub scribing witnesses.

FERDINAND E. CANDA.

Witnesses:

PAUL H. FRANK, D. A. DAVIES.

